Enjoy a One-of-a-Kind Wisconsin Animal Experience at Safari Lake Geneva

Did you know you can enjoy an African-style safari in southeast Wisconsin from the comfort of your car? Located just a short drive from Lake Geneva, Safari Lake Geneva is a fun, family-friendly destination enjoyed by visitors of all ages. 

This unique experience provides all the excitement and enjoyment of a zoo — without being an actual zoo. Instead, this wildlife preserve teems with exotic animals and memorable experiences, providing a fun escape into nature in the Badger State.

A Fun-Filled Safari in the Midwest

When visitors think of camels, zebras, and giraffes, they may think of the wilds of Africa and seeing majestic animals in their natural habitats. Safari Lake Geneva brings the fun of an African safari to the Midwest with a drive-thru experience that lets visitors young and old see an exotic array of animals up close.

Safari Lake Geneva is located at W1612 Litchfield Road, Lake Geneva Wisconsin, 53147. It’s open seasonally from May 1 through October 31. All safari options here require reservations — the sooner you book, the better off you’ll be.

Safari Lake Geneva’s admission rates are per person, but each admission is good for the day, so visitors can drive their vehicles through the reserve as many times as they want. The length of each trip can vary, but an average trip lasts anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours.

The drive-thru Safari is exhilarating experience!! My family and I had a great time feeding the animals. The facility was clean and staff was extremely nice. Such a beautiful experience with my family.

– Courtney via Google

Large groups of visitors — particularly student groups — can climb aboard one of Safari Lake Geneva’s safari wagons for a guided educational adventure.

An Amazing Array of Animals

Have you ever wanted to pet a llama? Have you ever wanted to feed a bison? Have you ever longed to see a zebra up close?

At Safari Lake Geneva, visitors can do all that and see an exciting mix of nearly two dozen animal species from around the world. Animals within the reserve include alpacas, camels, emus, llamas, mini horses, donkeys, zebu, mules, bison, ostriches, zebras, yaks, giraffes, and water buffalos.

Not only can visitors see all these animals and many others on their drive-thru experience, but they can feed the animals too! All of the reserve’s animals are fed a specialty grain that visitors can buy at the park or online. Most of the reserve’s animals will approach vehicles to eat, making this a fun interactive experience for guests.

Love this place! Took our kids there for the first time and they had a really great time. They were a little nervous at first, but quickly warmed up and were eager to feed the animals! The petting zoo and Giraffe feeding experience were definitely an added bonus.

– Sarina via Google

Guests are asked to keep their windows rolled up in the reserve’s zebra and giraffe areas and not to feed any animal anything but the specialized grain. Giraffes can be fed from a designated platform.

Tips for Feeding the Animals

Feeding the animals at Safari Lake Geneva can be a wonderful experience for visitors of all ages. But knowing what to expect before you go can prepare for a few (potentially exciting) animal encounters along the way.

• Have Enough Feed: Guests have recommended getting at least a few buckets of food to make sure you’ve got enough to get all the way through the safari.
• Take Your Time: Each admission is good for the entire day, but if you’ve only got time for one drive through, take your time so you don’t miss anything.
• Stay in Your Comfort Zone: Some guests with young children have said their kids are intimidated by the larger animals, so if you’d rather drive through and look but not feed, that’s perfectly ok.
• Be Respectful: The reserve’s animals are used to being fed, so be respectful as they approach your car. Some of them may slobber on your vehicle or even try to steal some extra food, but be calm and have fun. Some animals may even let you pet them!

A Dedication to Conservation

Safari Lake Geneva is the brainchild of “Jungle” Jay Christie, one of Wisconsin’s foremost animal experts who wanted a place where visitors could enjoy seeing animals and the animals — especially diminishing breeds — could have a place of refuge and room to explore.

Christie’s passion birthed a family-owned business that gives thousands of visitors a unique experience and is dedicated to conservation, supporting many state and world conservation initiatives.

Visit Some of the Midwest’s Best Zoos

Safari Lake Geneva is a memorable experience, but it’s just one of many places where visitors can enjoy animals in the Midwest. From the heart of Chicago to the Kansas plains to the Lake Erie shore, the Midwest is home to some of the country’s best zoos, which have thousands of beautiful animals.

The Milwaukee County Zoo features more than 2,000 animals in fun sections like the Adventure Africa exhibit and visitors can take the Zoomobile to see everything on an informative guided tour.

The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison is one of the nation’s only admission-free zoos and has more than 600 animals. The property includes a Childen’s Zoo, a Tropical Rainforest Aviary, and a Wisconsin Heritage exhibit — with badgers of course.

Plan Your Trip to Safari Lake Geneva

Safari Lake Geneva is a one-of-a-kind Wisconsin animal adventure that leaves visitors of all ages happy and smiling. Whether you’re looking for an under-the-radar family activity, you love animals, or you want to explore more of Wisconsin, Safari Lake Geneva is a Badger State bucket-list destination that will keep you coming back.